“Why didn’t I know about this?”
“Because I asked Tarina to keep it between us. Besides, I’m married to her not you!”
Cole chuckled. “Some honeymoon you two had.”
“Yeah, but it probably saved my life and my nascent marriage.”
“I’m glad to hear that you got the help you needed. I read that the rates for drug and alcohol abuse across the armed forces are at an all-time high. Now that the fighting has all but stopped, people are turning to stimulants to deal with the horrors of the war. Far too many of our peers refuse to get help until it’s far too late and their careers and marriages are ruined. For holding onto someone else’s booze, you, sir, are in the dog house with me for the foreseeable future.”
“I got it. I won’t do that ever again.”
“I know you won’t.”
“Can we please switch subjects?
“Sure, what would you like to talk about?”
“How do you think the operation on Ke-421 went?”
Cole reached over and helped himself to half of Sheridan’s sandwich. “Not bad at all. Our casualties were incredibly light and most of our wounded personnel are already back at their duty stations. Our LO has proven his worth to us, and as long as the Kurgans keep supplying us with the latest transponder signals and codes, we should be able to pull off our Trojan Horse bit until the rebels smarten up.”
“When do you think that will be?”
“I’d love to say they will never learn from their mistakes, but that would be incredibly foolish of me. So, I’m going to go out on a limb and say we can do this another two, maybe three times before we need to come up with a new modus operandi.”
“Yeah, I agree.”
“Do you have the latest figures from Fleet Headquarters on how many colonists have been repatriated, and how many are still assumed to be still in rebel hands?”
Sheridan stood up and rummaged through his files for a moment before sitting back down. “According to fleet intel, forty-seven thousand people have been rescued. That leaves almost three hundred thousand still unaccounted for.”
“Some of those people will be dead already. Still, that’s a heck of a lot of folks we need to find and bring home.”
“As long as there is one person still being held against their will, the federation president won’t sign the peace treaty.”
“I guess we’re going to be busy for the next few months.”
Sheridan took a sip of juice before saying, “I don’t mind. The men and women who make up Strike Force Sierra-One are among the best I’ve ever had the privilege to serve with. Every one of them is committed to the mission and would give their lives if it meant another colonist was set free.”
A light flashed on the comms panel mounted on the wall. Sheridan stood up and pressed the talk button. “Major Sheridan here.”
“Major, it’s Captain Kyn, I’ve just received a personal message from the Kurgan High Command you may wish to see.”
Sheridan raised an eyebrow. Kyn had never shared his communiques before today. “What does it say?”
“Sir, it would be preferable if we spoke about this face to face, not over the intercom.”
“Very well. Please come to my quarters.”
“Yes, sir.”
“I wonder what that’s all about?” said Sheridan, sliding back down onto his chair.
“Who knows with the Kurgans,” said Cole. “At least this LO trusts us enough to keep us in the loop.”
A minute later, there was a knock at the door.
“Come,” said Sheridan.
Captain Kyn entered the room. In his hands was a tablet.
“So, Captain, what did your High Command send you that’s got you so bothered?” asked Sheridan.
Kyn handed Sheridan his tablet. “Sir, I have been asked to approach you about dropping out of our jump to investigate a recently detected anomaly.”
“What kind of anomaly are we talking about?” said Cole.
“It would appear that a Kurgan ship has been spotted by a long-range satellite floating inside the Kertyl Nebula,” explained Sheridan as he read the message.
“As this sort of thing falls outside of our treaty agreements, my superiors have asked me to persuade you to take a look at the ship for survivors,” said Kyn.
“How far away is it?” asked Cole.
“No more than a few hours,” replied Kyn. “I’ve already worked out the calculations to get us there and back to your fleet in a reasonable amount of time.”
“What size is the vessel?”
“By the looks of it, it’s a troop transporter.”
“Why don’t your people check it out?”
“Because the Kertyl Nebula is just inside the demilitarized zone. My people aren’t allowed in there without permission from your forces, and that could take days to receive. As they fear there could be survivors onboard the ship who may need assistance, they contacted me to see if a Terran ship could help out.”
“If we do go, we won’t need to take the entire ship with us,” said Sheridan, studying the picture of the nebula on the tablet’s screen. “We could just as easily take a shuttle.”
“Just a second, Major,” said Cole. “I’ve seen that look on your face before. You have a ship full of trained officers and Marines who could do this. There’s no need for you to go.”
“I know, but as this is a reconnaissance and not a combat mission, I should be able to lead this without too many people getting their knickers in a twist. Come on, Alan, it’s a chance to do something different for a change.”
“Who are you going to leave in command in your absence?”
“How about you?”
“I don’t think so,” replied Cole, sitting up straight in his chair. “You need adult supervision.”
“I thought that’s where Master Sergeant Hill, my new senior non-com, comes in.”
“Your father never should have promoted me. We’re both going to get in trouble for this, so let’s agree not to tell Hill what we’re doing until we get back.”
Sheridan looked at Kyn. “Captain, you’ve spent more time on the bridge than I have, who would you leave in command?”
“Captain Rodriguez,” replied Kyn without hesitation. “She’s bright and knows the ship better than the other bridge crew.”
“Rodriguez it is.”
“I guess I had best alert Staff Sergeant Barnes that he and his close-protection squad are required,” said Cole.
“Captain Kyn can get the shuttle prepared while I inform Rodriguez about our mission,” said Sheridan. “Let’s all RV in the hangar bay in one hour from now.”
Kyn bowed slightly, turned, and left the room.
“Do you think we’ll find any survivors on that transport ship?” said Cole.
Sheridan shook his head. “Not unless the occupants are in a long-term cryogenic sleep. I’m no expert, but I don’t think that type of ship has been in service with the Kurgan Fleet since the last war.”
“Are you telling me that ship is one hundred years old?”
“I’m not telling you anything. All I know is that vessel is a relic from another age.”
Sheridan placed the tablet on the table. “Alan, keep a close eye on Kyn. When we reach the derelict ship, don’t let him out of your sight for even a moment. He seems like a good officer, but after what I’ve seen them do in the past, I can never bring myself to trust them fully.”
Cole nodded and patted his pistol holster. “I hear you.”
Chapter 4
“Will you look at that,” said Cole as he watched the Kurgan transport ship twirl end over end. The vessel was over three hundred meters in length and had multiple launch bays along its side to allow for a rapid deployment of troop landing craft to a planet’s surface. Apart from a large, blackened hole in the engine compartment, where a warhead had struck it, the rest of the ship looked to be in good shape.
“It’ll give you motion sickness if you keep watching it,” sa
id Sheridan, patting his friend on the arm. He switched off the screen and took a seat at a table in the back of their shuttle.
“Sir, the vessel has been identified as the Kiran,” explained Kyn, bringing up a holographic image of the ship. “It was reported lost during the battle for New Terra—one hundred and two Terran years ago.”
“Isn’t New Terra deep inside our space?” asked Cole.
“Correct, it was the furthest the Kurgan Empire was able to push into our territory before being stopped,” replied Sheridan. “Because of the enormous loss of life on both sides, it was deemed, at best, a Pyrrhic victory for our forces.”
“After this battle, my government sought a ceasefire with yours,” said Kyn.
“So what’s this ship doing here if it was supposed to have been destroyed over New Terra?” asked Cole.
“That I do not know.”
“Even if it were only slightly damaged and flew away from the battle, there’s no way it could have traveled this far without using some form of faster-than-light propulsion. That hole in the engine compartment probably meant they lost their ability to jump when it was hit. If my memory serves me correctly, the Kiran was a Type K-32 ship and as such it had only a rudimentary jump drive. What would have taken months back then we can now do in days.”
“That is correct, sir,” replied Kyn. “The troops would have been asleep the entire voyage and only woken just before going into battle. That is why my headquarters would like us to see if there are any survivors still sleeping in their cryo-chambers.”
“I didn’t see any signs of life or power on the shuttle’s scanners,” said Cole. “I think we’ve come a century too late to help them.”
“Well, I for one didn’t come all this way not to look around,” said Sheridan. “Captain Kyn, coord with the shuttle crew and pick an appropriate airlock for us to dock with.”
“Yes, sir,” said Kyn as he stood up and left the room.
“I guess it’s time to suit up,” said Sheridan to his friend.
“Your close-protection detail is already climbing into their survival suits,” pointed out Cole.
Sheridan smiled. His father may have made Cole an officer, but he was still an NCO at heart.
The shuttle’s pilot matched the tumbling Kurgan ship’s motion and maneuvered his craft within a meter of the hull of the derelict. When his computer told him they were in a synchronous pattern, he placed the shuttle on autopilot and extended the docking arm from his ship to the relic’s airlock.
The sound of the docking arm moving toward the Kiran told the men in the crew compartment, dressed from head to toe in self-contained survival suits, that it was time.
Sheridan looked out a window and watched as the docking arm magnetized and gripped hold of the Kurgan vessel. He stepped back and nodded at Staff Sergeant Barnes.
“Okay, Private Ganbattar, you’re up,” said Barnes.
The Marine waited for the walkway between the two ships to pressurize before opening the shuttle craft’s door. He walked over and scanned the closed door leading into the Kurgan ship’s airlock.
“Sir, there isn’t an atmosphere nor is there any trace of artificial gravity on the other side of the door,” reported Ganbattar.
“Okay, we’ll depressurize our hold before opening the door,” said Sheridan.
Cole made sure all the doors to the crew compartment were sealed before depressurizing the room.
“Proceed,” said Sheridan to the young Marine.
Ganbattar removed a large metal key from his belt, inserted it into a lock on the side of the airlock door, and turned it.
The door remained closed.
Barnes walked over and joined Ganbattar. He pulled a knife from his suit and thrust it between the door and the lock. Together, the two Marines pried the door open.
Sheridan’s mind raced back to a time when he was barely a couple days out of the academy and he and Cole boarded a ship that had been damaged in battle. The memory of a dead woman with long blonde hair he had found floating in a corridor still made him cringe.
“Any signs of power?” asked Cole.
“None that I can detect, sir,” responded Ganbattar.
“Everyone activate your grav-boots,” ordered Cole. “The last thing we need is for someone to float off into the dark.”
“Okay, here’s what we’re going to do,” said Sheridan. “Captains Cole and Kyn along with three Marines will head to the bridge to see what they can learn. I’ll take Staff Sergeant Barnes with the rest of his squad to look for survivors in the troop compartment. We’ll all meet back here in one hour’s time.”
“Perhaps I should go with you, sir,” said Kyn.
“No. My Kurgan is good enough,” replied Sheridan. “Captain Cole’s, on the other hand, is quite rusty, so he’ll need you to read whatever you can find.”
“Very well, sir.”
“Let’s get moving.”
Staff Sergeant Barnes pointed at some of his team. “Ganbattar, Henry, and Corporal Valencia will go with Captain Cole’s party. The rest of you are with me.”
Sheridan reached out and tapped Cole on the helmet. His friend looked back. Sheridan offered his hand. “See you in an hour.”
Cole shook Sheridan’s hand. “In an hour and not a second more.”
With Barnes’ men leading, Sheridan stepped inside the Kurgan ship. It was like entering a tomb. There were no lights on and the vessel was as welcoming as a frigid winter’s night.
“Which way, sir?” asked Barnes. His helmet lights lit up the corridor.
Sheridan glanced down at the mini computer screen on his left wrist. Displayed was a schematic of the ship. “Take the first left and then carry on until we come to the crew compartment.”
Walking with grav-boots took a few minutes to get used to. Each step was followed by the other foot being pulled off the metal floor before being placed in front of the other. It was a tiring process.
“Corporal Valencia, you have point,” said Cole, wanting the Marine to take the lead.
“The way to the bridge is straight ahead fifty meters and then a sharp left turn,” explained Kyn.
Valencia nodded and with a Marine on either side of him, he walked down the deserted hallway.
“How do you think this ship got here?” Cole asked Kyn.
“I’m a navigator by trade, and I can’t fathom how it could have traveled this far without using its faster-than-light drive,” responded Kyn. “Since that seems implausible due to the damage it suffered in the engine compartment, I’m hoping the ship’s computer can shed some light on what happened one hundred years ago.”
“You and me both.”
“Sir, you’re not going to believe this,” said Barnes in Sheridan’s earpiece.
Sheridan walked past a couple of Marines and stopped. Spread out in front of him, for as far as the eye could see, were hundreds if not thousands of slender cryo-chambers. “Are you reading any life signs?”
“No, sir,” replied Lance Corporal Okorie.
Sheridan walked to the nearest cryo-chamber and looked down on the occupant. The Kurgan inside was covered in a thin film of ice crystals. The warrior looked like he was in a deep sleep. Sheridan checked the life signs monitor on the side of the tube and saw the soldier had died in his sleep.
“What do you think happened here, sir?” asked Barnes.
“When the power went out, the Kurgans all died of asphyxiation in their sleep,” replied Sheridan.
“What a horrible way to go,” said Okorie.
“It was painless,” said Sheridan. “They went to sleep and never woke up. Besides, a century ago our ancestors would have happily cheered their deaths.”
“Yes, sir,” said Okorie.
“Sir, I wonder where the rest of the crew is?” said Barnes.
Sheridan looked around the hangar. “That’s a good question.”
The doors to the bridge were wide open.
Cole waited for Corporal Valencia’s fire team to secu
re the room before entering. When he walked onto the bridge, he was taken aback by the sight of five dead Kurgans floating in one corner of the room. Their bodies looked to be constricted in pain. The uniforms looked remarkably similar to the ones worn by the current Kurgan military.
“This doesn’t feel right. Did someone move the bodies?” asked Cole.
“Yes, sir, we did,” reported Valencia.
“Next time leave them where you find them,” said Cole. “It helps us figure out what happened when they died.”
“Sorry, sir.”
“Don’t be. Just don’t do it again.”
Captain Kyn walked over and spun a body around until he could look at the dead Kurgan’s face. “This man was the captain.” Kyn rummaged through the dead Kurgan’s clothes.
“What are you looking for?” asked Cole.
“His self-destruct key. In those days, each ship’s captain used to wear one around their neck so they would have immediate access to it if they needed to blow their ship up to avoid being captured in battle. For some reason, this captain’s key is missing.”
“Enough about suicide. Do you think you can download the information they may have stored on their computers?” asked Cole.
“Not with the equipment I have on me. Let’s not forget the technology they used is going to be out of date compared to our more modern operating systems. When we get back to our ship, I’ll contact my superiors and see if an unarmed tug can be allowed into the demilitarized zone to haul this ship back to the nearest base for a full forensic examination.”
“Makes sense to me. I just wish we could access their computers so we could determine what happened to them.”
“If I could access the ship’s mainframe, I might be able to connect a couple of batteries to it to see if we can get it operational again.”
Cole looked at Valencia. “Corporal, take Henry back to the ship to see if we have a couple of heavy duty batteries in the hold and bring them to the bridge ASAP.”
“Yes, sir,” replied Valencia.
“The mainframe is in a room down the hallway,” said Kyn. “I’ll meet them there.”
Renegade (The Kurgan War Book 7) Page 3
